Episode 1457 (2 June 1997)
Synopsis Mark is moping around and being obnoxious to everyone, including Ruth. He moans a lot about having to keep hassling Lenny and Huw for the rent, and they are shocked by his mood when he goes to see them, but they only have 20 quid at the moment, as they still only have the cab jobs. They decide to ask George what's happening about the club, but as usual he's vague and non-committal. Simon is getting fed up with having to go to the swimming pool for a shower every morning, and Tony makes up an excuse about flooding Lenny's bathroom which is why he is banned. Nigel and Sanjay ask if the club will be re-opening as they want to do the 70's nights again, and Huw says it's going to be a drinking club, not a disco. The new teenage gang is terrorising the square - starting with the café and Mick's first week there. They complain about the food and smoke, and when Mick tells them it's no smoking, they set fire to the "No Smoking" sign on the table. Customers are waiting for the table, so Mick tells them if they aren't going to order anything they should leave. The gang leader tells him to "make them" and rather fortuitously at this moment Big Ron and Winston arrive and Mick says they can have this table as these lads were just leaving. They take one look at Big Ron and scuttle off. Outside, they start to overturn the rubbish bins and make a nuisance of themselves. Mick comes out to get rid of them, and is about to hit the leader when Lenny pushes the boy away and grabs Mick to prevent him doing anything, saying they're not worth it. Lorraine phones the Vic and asks Peggy for a few more days off as she says she's not feeling well. Tiffany is listening to this side of the conversation and Peggy smiles and tells Lorraine that she can take as much time off as she wants, as she has Tiffany to help so there is no problem at all. Joe is suspicious about Lorraine's time off but she fobs him off saying she wanted to spend time with him. Pat visits and is surprised to learn from Lorraine that Joe may be on drugs for the rest of his life, and some people just have to live it. Dot bends Pauline's ear about her eye problem, saying that glaucoma must be very serious and she wonders if they'll give her a guide dog. Pauline is annoyed by the conversation and when Dot says she wants a golden one not a horrible black one, Pauline says it won't matter since she won't be able to see it anyway. Pauline arrives as Dot is writing a letter, and she asks about it. Dot admits that it is to Nick and he is in prison again. Pauline tells her to leave him there, it's the best place for him, and she can't imagine why Dot bothers to get in touch. Dot goes to the post office but changes her mind and tears up the letter instead. Grant goes to the arches and tells Phil about Lorraine dumping him. Phil says maybe it's for the best now he has a child - they need both parents and he should give it another go with Tiffany, as he has a family to consider now. Grant phones Lorraine, but she leaves the answering machine to answer it, and ignores the message, then unplugs the phone. Joe discovers this later and also asks whether Grant will be visiting soon. Michael is back in the market, having been cleared. Annie asks George if she can be the manager of the new club when it opens, as he will need a good manager who will fend off journalists, and she is fed up with the stupid print shop and didn't come back from New Zealand for this. George asks why she did come back, and she says the business was running itself, and she wasn't needed there. Dot goes to the Vic and Tiffany serves her, and Dot asks Grant and her about their baby. She says it's a shame, she won't be able to see it grow up. Tiffany looks surprised, and when Dot sits down, he whispers to her "a tip - never cross Dot, and if she says she's ill, believe her." Ruth gossips to Gita about Mark, and he looks even more annoyed when he sees them chatting in the pub. Martin's gang decide to rob the community centre and ask Martin for inside information, since Ruth works there. He says he doesn't want to do it, and they remind him he has sworn to belong to them and can't back out now. As they are snooping around, Grant passes and tells them to go away and Martin is in trouble when he gets home because Grant moaned to Mark about Martin's gang frightening his dog. Mark tells him that he had better be more careful, because he may get away with one crime but if he's caught again they'll lock him up and throw away the key. Martin is suitably terrified, and runs off. Ruth tells Mark off for being so hard on him. Mark says reasonably that Martin is ignoring all their attempts to help and he needs to be told. Ruth whines on that Mark is just annoyed because of his HIV tests. Credits Main cast *Todd Carty as Mark Fowler *Caroline Paterson as Ruth Fowler *Wendy Richard as Pauline Fowler *James Alexandrou as Martin Fowler *June Brown as Dot Cotton *Ross Kemp as Grant Mitchell *Martine McCutcheon as Tiffany Mitchell *Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell *Paul Bradley as Nigel Bates *Jacqueline Leonard as Lorraine Wicks *Paul Nicholls as Joe Wicks *Pam St. Clement as Pat Evans *Paul Moriarty as George Palmer *Nadia Sawalha as Annie Palmer *Deepak Verma as Sanjay Kapoor *Shobu Kapoor as Gita Kapoor *Russell Floyd as Michael Rose *Steve McFadden as Phil Mitchell *Natalie Cassidy as Sonia Jackson *Desune Coleman as Lenny Wallace *Richard Elis as Huw Edwards *Sylvester Williams as Mick McFarlane *Mark Homer as Tony Hills *Andrew Lynford as Simon Raymond *Kate Rutter as Alison Hastings *Leonard Kirby as Shane *Kristian Wilkin as Gavin *Daniel Scott-Croxford as Craig *Ricky Lynn as Trevor Category:Episode Category:1997 Episodes